This is a detailed comparison of top woodcock hunting shotshells to help you choose the most effective one. B&P offers at least a dozen cartridges for woodcock hunting, all suitable and ballistically optimized for use in woodland environments with a pointing dog, at short to medium ranges.

However, we want to focus our attention on four particularly specific and carefully engineered products, first and foremost the Mygra Beccaccia with 34 grams of No. 8.5 lead pellet (2.2 mm), featuring a traditional felt wad and a finely tuned configuration that delivers a generous and effective shot pattern even at medium range, a shotshell truly and unmistakably dedicated to the woodcock of the forests.

We then selected two more cartridges, also with traditional felt wads but with a Rolled closure. They are two different MB Tricolor: the first is the well-known and popular MB Tricolor in a 12/70 Type 4 plastic green case, in this "forest" configuration with a No. 8.5 (2.2 mm) tempered lead shot, ideal for woodcock hunting at the medium ranges; the other MB Tricolor is the Limited Edition Vintage 2025 edition, in a blue paper case, with a traditional felt wad and a Rolled closure, and a No. 8 (2.3 mm) shot, weighing 35 grams. This also produces generous wide patterns and is therefore ideal for small game hunting in dense brush and thigt space.

The last shotshell is a spreader shotshell; from its name, we know it features a special design finalized to open the pattern early; in this case, the B&P F2 Short Range Dispersante spreader wad. This one is designed for short range, let's say between 12 and 22 meters.

But let's look at them in more detail.

Mygra Beccaccia: the beautiful specialist

The Mygra Beccaccia is perhaps one of the most beautiful appealing shotshell of the entire B&P production. Its glassy transparent case reveals the contents, the three-layer felt wad, and the special polished No. 8.5  gold pellet. Its ballistic effect, well known and well proved and appreciated for years, is that of producing good patterns at medium range, even in "normal" shotguns, such as the classic automatic with a 65/66 centimetres barrel and medium choke.

The patterns become "generous" if you use a cylindrical or Paradox choke, therefore with a rifled end. With its MBx32 powder load, this cartridge is extremely stable and consistent, unaffected by climatic variations, cold, and environmental humidity. It is a choice confirmed for years by many passionate woodcock hunters who are selective about their ballistic equipment.

MB Tricolor means lifetime warranty

The MB Tricolor Type 4 in a plastic hull is a shotshell covered by a "lifetime warranty."

Its long career is irrefutable proof of quality and consistency, but also of hunting tradition and romance. It is the continuation of the Tricolor line released between 1929 and 1930, so well-known and appreciated as to make further comment and praise unnecessary. A powerful and safe shotshell, with its 36 grams of No. 8.5 pellets, it becomes a highly effective ballistic tool in woodland and scrub, combined with barrels with modest chokes (IM, M, Cyl) or Paradox.

This shotshell was specifically requested by many hunters who are loyal users of the MB Tricolor for sedentary hunting. These hunters, moving to winter conditions, wanted to maintain their highly trusted shotshell, which B&P was happy to supply.

The MB Tricolor Limited Edition with a cardboard case

The MB Tricolor Limited Edition Vintage in a blue cardboard case could also not be missing. This is a minimal variation on the traditional and classic setup, which has been moved to a cardboard case at the request of many incurable romantics and philosophers of the "ars venatoria."

Its 35-gram load of tempered No. 8 shot, supported by the usual traditional wad and combined with a round rim, yields equally optimal ballistics, only enriched on an emotional level by the purest tradition required as a means to complete a philosophy of life and hunting tied to the most subtle and delicate emotions and sensations.

The F2 Short Range Dispersante for short distances

The last one tested, the F2 Short Range Dispersante, a high-speed spreader shotshell with a roiled crimp closure and a container wad with internal spreader. Hold 36 grams of shot. The No.8.5 pellet version is a very good solution for woodcock hunting in mixed environments. An effective shotshell that is impervious to cold and weather, its generous payload of lead pellets  and his particular composition launches a generous amount of shot pellets in consistent patterns, which can be further adjusted with the choke used.

With the F2 Short Range, we've included a truly spreader shotshell, thanks to the particular type of wad used, a container wad with an internal cross-section. This will provide a ballistic tool that's certainly effective for dense hunting environments, where the real challenge is hitting close-by, hard-to-see game, which most often must be "guessed" instinctively. The spreader wad divides the shot column into four sectors and works effectively to open the pattern early. It also works well with medium chokes, making it a good solution for those who occasionally practice this hunt, even without a dedicated woodcock gun. F2 powder and plastic components ensure good protection from humid environments and absolute certainty with excellent hunting ballistics.